


It's a Free!nzy

by bimmykimmy



Category: Free!
Genre: Awkward First Times, BDSM, Cuddling & Snuggling, Jealousy, M/M, Masturbation, Panic Attacks, Public Display of Affection, teeth sharpening
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-11-06
Updated: 2014-02-15
Packaged: 2017-12-31 17:01:23
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 14,225
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1034132
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bimmykimmy/pseuds/bimmykimmy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A collection of tumblr prompted short fics; will update whenever I write more. Ratings will vary.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. First Time

First came the hasty confession.

Then the sloppy, half-missed kiss.

Then the clumsy transition to the locker room.

Makoto paused as he began to pull off his swim suit. His face was flushed, his heart beating a mile a minute. Haruka sat in front of him, face just as red as his own. His shoulders quivered as his breathing tried to calm. 

The taller brunette smiled at this and leaned in to kiss his friend once again. Before he knew it, the kiss intensified and he felt Haruka melt into it. Makoto, being tall and lanky as he was, attempted to lead Haruka back to lay down on his back. In the process he managed to hit his elbow against a locker and knee Haruka in the crotch. Haruka yelped and hit Makoto with a soft fist.

"S-sorry! I’m so sorry." Makoto covered his face, probably to hide his tears.

Haruka huffed a laugh and grabbed his friend’s wrists. “Let me try.” He said in a small voice.

They shifted around and successfully got to a position where Makoto was laying with Haruka straddled on top of him. Haruka shifted his hips and caused the much wanted friction to begin.

Makoto whimpered and closed his eyes as Haruka rubbed their groins together through the fabric of their suits. He let his head fall back and he mentall prepared himself to be swept away.

Yet, nothing more happened.

He peeped open an eye and saw Haruka biting his lip in frustration. 

"Um, Haru?"

"What um…"

"Huh?"

"What do I do first?"

Makoto sighed and let his head drop back down onto the hard locker room floor.

"Just," he laughed, "let’s just go home." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> these are all tumblr prompts and were written with little to no proofreading. please be gentle with me


	2. All work and no play makes Rin a dull boy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jealous!Rin prompt

They always had to be so PDA. Sharing french fries, sharing earbuds, sitting close, holding hands. And it all just  _had_  to be in front of Rin. 

Sure, he had accepted his situation. He had gone through some tough times, became a different person. A person whom Haruka no longer desired. It was all fine. He could deal.

But  _this_. This  _shit_  right here.

Rin narrowed his eyes and pressed his pencil into his notebook, breaking through at least 10 fresh pages. 

 _This is the library, dammit_ , he thought,  _why are you here? Doing that?_

Haruka and Makoto sat across the room. They hadn’t noticed Rin in the corner, mostly because he wore his hood up to avoid any human interaction. Haruka, with his usual bored expression, looked down at his textbook as Makoto smiled at him from across the table. He rested one hand on his chin. His other hand he used to stroke Haruka’s arm, slowly and delicately with his index finger.

Rin threw his pencil down,it bounced and rolled off the table, and folded his arms in a huff. 

 _I should go and interrupt them. That’ll show them. Bein’ all couple-y and…whatnot._  

Yet, he didn’t move. He just sat there, brooding and steaming in silence. His eyes boring holes into the oblivious Makoto. 

Minutes passed, which seemed like hours, and Makoto finally moved in closer. Rin’s eyes widened and he leaned in closer to his table even though that did absolutely nothing to help him hear. Makoto’s lips moved, close to Haruka’s ear. Whatever he said, got a reaction from Haruka that Rin had never seen before. 

Haruka, usually well adjusted and calm, jumped and turned his head away towards the window. He kicked Makoto under the table, causing the brunette to laugh. 

"Senpai?" A small voice chirped.

Rin, literally on top of the table and practically kicking over his chair, looked up to see Nitori standing there holding his text books. “Are you alright?”

"Oh, uhm, uh…." He quickly slipped off the table and plopped down in his chair. "I’m," he gave a glance over to the lover’s table, it was empty, "I’m just  _peachy_.”


	3. Don't Forget

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> BDSM (i know pretty much next to nothing about it other than from what i've seen in fanart soooo....)

Makoto pressed his foot down harder and pulled up on the leather leash, causing Haruka to squirm under the pressure. A smile tugged at his lips as he thought of just how convenient his suit was; getting so wet and all. He leaned over and tightened the bond around Haruka’s thigh. 

He grabbed the dark haired boy’s chin and tilted it up. “You’re already so hard, Haru-chan.” He mumbled as he tightened the other bond with his free hand; this time with a little emphasis causing Haruka to jolt. The dark haired boy's eyes were misty and narrowed as he glared up at his friend-now-lover. Makoto could tell Haru wasn’t a fan of the “-chan”, but the ball gag was making it quiet difficult to protest. 

Makoto bit his lip, wanting to take all of him right then and there. But he promised he’d do this properly. It had been a rather odd request, coming from Haruka, but he was definitely game for it. Haru had, supposedly, stumbled upon some odd literature at Nagisa's house the other day. And, well, he had gotten some ideas.

Makoto would have to thank Nagisa later. But for now...

"Have you been _bad_ , Haru?"

Haruka squirmed, breathing heavily through his nose, and nodded. 

Makoto leaned over and grabbed the horse whip, brushing it against Haruka’s inner thighs. He gave a small tap to Haruka’s bottom, causing his partner to wince. Haru had not really been one for kinky play, but the impressive bulge in his suit definitely confirmed that he was into it. The taller boy could not fight back the urge much longer, and he palmed Haruka's erection through his suit. He rubbed gently at first, but soon pressed harder, wanting to make Haruka wince. He wanted to hear Haru's choked back moans through the ball gag. And he did, and it was oh so _delicious_. 

He brought the wip up to Haruka's face, delicately tracing his jawline with it. Haru's eyes glimmered in the dim light; a cloud of lust murkying their usual sheen. Makoto's lips turned into a smirk.

"Now, before I make sure you’re properly punished…." Makoto closed his eyes, biting his lip in anticipation, "Wait," his eyes popped open—back to their motherly expression. "Oh no. _Oh no_. Haruka? I forgot the safety word! What was it again??"

Haruka let out an exhausted, and disappointed, groan and let his head fall back onto the floor. He rolled his eyes.


	4. That's a Mouthful

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> oddly enough, this wasn't a prompt. I just had the idea at work, him actually getting it done not too long before coming home; and has been a headcannon for forever.  
> 20 points to whoever guesses why I named his friend Shim.

Rin stared up at the tattooed man as he pulled the needle out of Rin's gums. The man's eyes, being the only thing visible due to the medical mask, shone and gleamed against the florescent lights. The red head couldn't hold back a small gulp as the man rubbed the outside of Rin's mouth where he shot the novocaine.

Rin flicked his eyes left towards his friend who gave him an eager thumbs up. It didn't make him feel any less nauseous, but it was a bit reassuring to know he had support going into this.

Well, he said support but what he really meant....

He couldn't actually  _believe_  he had been talked into this.

\-------

"Woah, you've got some sharp canine's there, bud!" Shim--Rin's first and closest friend since he moved to Australia--exclaimed. They had been walking home from school when Shim said some dirty joke, Rin laughed and therefore showed his teeth. Shim bounced up and put his hand to Rin's mouth, tugging up his lip to see his right canine better. Rin smacked Shim's hand away and scoffed.

"Did you sharpen them yourself?" Shim's enthusiasm had not faltered.

"They've always been like that." Rin stated, rubbing his mouth thoughtfully.

"Seriously? That's totally cool!" He jumped up onto the street curb as he walked, balancing on it as if he were 20 meters up. And like an epiphany struck him, he gasped and jumped back down in front of Rin. He grabbed his shoulders and shook him to emphasize his genius. "You should definitely get the rest of them sharpened! You have the look for it!"

"The look?"

Shim pointed his first two fingers at his own eyes, then at Rin's, "You got them devil eyes! You'd scare the shit out of any competitors! And you gotta admit--swimming, sharp teeth, shark...it kinda goes, right?"

Rin rolled his eyes "Shut up," he mumbled, but could not fight off the twinge of interest in his gut.

"It'll be totally sick, Rin!" His blonde friend had laughed while wrapping a strong arm around Rin's shoulder. The red head sighed and bit his bottom lip in thought. There was no way he'd actually do it, right? As cool as it sounded, he would probably look ridiculous.

But then again.

He did have to agree with Shim on the "look" part; he knew he was terrifying looking, even for a 16 year old. And to be honest, he  _had_  thought about it before...

"But I'm not 18 yet. How can I get the procedure done, Shim?"

Shim smirked at this, eyes gleaming. "I know a guy."

With much persuasion, and mouth inspection, Shim was finally able to convince "a guy" to do the surgery. As long as Rin had his molars all grown in--which he did--he could do it.

\-------

And so, Rin stared up into the light, eyes watering a bit. But he was  _not_  crying; definitely not.

"You can have a seat out in the waiting room," the assistant said politely, escorting an excited Shim out. He gave Rin one last thumbs up before turning down the hallway. Rin watched that hallway with a speeding heart; he hadn't planned on being this nervous. He felt his tongue and mouth begin to go numb as the novocaine did it's job. Soon enough, he cheeks felt three times as big and he could just picture how hilariously awful he looked.

After a while, the assistant came back wearing a mask herself.

"Okay, open real wide for me," the man said; his mask shifting against his chin. "We'll go at it tooth by tooth. I'll only go as far back as your first molar. Then we'll bounce left and right until we reach your central incisors. Sound alright?"

Rin, feeling a lump in his throat, nodded and weakly said with his now-clumsy tongue, "Yep. Go for it."

The drill whined as it came to life, drowning out the 80s rock music that had been echoing through the entire place. The assistant put a pair of sunglasses on Rin to protect his eyes from the light and from whatever was going to spray out of his mouth (okay, so he was a  _lot_  more nervous than he planned on).

Rin opened his mouth, leaned his head back, took a deep sighing breath, and closed his eyes.

The sudden vibration against his mouth shocked him at first, but it was easy to get used to. He fought back a gag as the man's gloved hand pushed against the corner of his mouth just far enough to get at his molar. The whining and buzzing went in waves as the man worked diligently; his assistant using her utensils to keep Rin's mouth both moist and suctioned.

"You okay?" he said through his mask.

Rin wanted to punch the man for asking a question when his hands were practically down his throat. But, he managed to give an opened mouth "uh-huh."

It was all going pretty smoothly until the man took out what Rin thought looked like an escape tool for prison. The man brought his strong, and kind of frightening arms, down onto Rin's chest as he got closer to his front teeth. Before he started filing, he looked at Rin, saying, "Your front teeth are thinner at the tips than your others, so I'm gonna go slow. They might be a bit more sensitive too, so brace yourself."

Rin shivered and squeezed his eyes tighter as the man brought the utensil down against his tooth; filing away at the calcium until it was good an pointed. With each downward stroke, an uneasy feeling shook his body. He tried not to let himself shiver again; in fear of moving too much. The dull scraping sound echoed in his head as the man went back and forth on his teeth; making sure all were the correct points and sizes. 

Thinking back on it now, Rin really couldn't remember the whole thing that well. He had let his mind wander to other thoughts, trying to convince himself that he wasn't actually going through this whole ordeal. He thought of Japan, and what the weather would be like this time of year. He thought of Gou and wondered if she had a boyfriend yet, and if he'd need to send threatening letters or not. He even thought about the jerk that caused his whole life to disarray (Alright, so maybe that was a  _bit_  dramatic. He had been like, what,  _11_? Well, anyways...). He almost smirked during the procedure thinking of Haruka's reaction to this new look.

\-------

  
The red head curled his lips into a silent growl as he admired himself in his mirror. Shim whooped and smacked him on the back. Rin couldn't help but turn his mouth up into a smile as he let his thumb trace lightly over his teeth.

"You look so  _badass_." His blonde friend beamed, "Well, once your cheeks stop looking so puffy, you'll look even cooler, but for NOW..." He gave a cheeky grin.

Rin couldn't look away from the mirror, he simply agreed to Shim's comment, and continued to ogle himself. He turned his head to see them from different angles. He was glad the man didn't go too crazy with it. They turned out just sharp enough to strike fear into his enemies; if...that's what he was going for, he guessed. Rin opened his mouth and tilted his head up to look at the back ones; once again happy the man didn't go to his back molars because chewing would be a bitch. 

Despite his uneasy feelings during the procedure, Rin was delighted to say that he in fact totally, completely, loved them. It added character, he thought, and the ladies will probably go nuts over it.

Speaking of ladies.

Oh damn.

"Jesus," he said with a sigh, letting his mouth fall shut and his hands slap the sink, "What is my mom going to say?"

"Eh," Shim shrugged, "worry about that when you get back home."


	5. Need a hand?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> i'm sorry about the title....

Rin shifted for the hundredth time in his bed, letting out another annoyed huff. He pat his hand on his covers for a few moments before finding his phone. The white light was tough on his eyes that had grown accustomed to the dark. He pressed a few buttons, lazily looking through his inbox. What was he going to do? Text? At three o'clock in the morning?

_Idiot._

The red head locked his phone and the screen blackened. He had been laying in bed since curfew, but his mind was not ready to sleep. He let out a big sigh as he turned onto his side.

 _'All I wanna do is seep, is that so much to ask?'_ his internal voice complained. Lately, due to excess stress of competition and he-who-must-not-be-named, Rin had been losing many hours of well deserved sleep. He pressed his eyes shut, hoping to trick his body clock, but it was futile. The mere feeling of closing his eyes felt oddly foreign. And don't even ask about his sleeping position--none of them were comfortable.

He turned again, but before he could let out another sigh, he heard one from above him.

Had he woke Nitori? Rin had been shifting a lot, and bunk beds were pretty shitty for light sleepers with roommates who moved excessively.

Rin thought about whispering Nitori's name, but decided against it when he heard Niroti shift some more. He heard him sigh again--this one sounding a bit annoyed. Rin turned onto his back and placed his hands under his pillow, his eyes staring up at the bunk. He waited to hear Nitori complain about being woken up.

Instead, from above, he heard Nitori's breath. Ah, he had just shifted, nothing else.

He assumed it was the heavy breathing of deep sleep, but the start of small pulses and vibrations that shook the bunk bed told him differently. Rin kept his position and his expression went blank as the mattress above him trembled.

 _'Jesus, he's--'_ Rin's mind panicked. Nitori must've thought that Rin was alseep--well, he normally would be--but Rin had not mentioned his sleeping issues to anyone. His eyes went wide when the quivering of the bunk was accented with small, slick noises that flooded his ears.

"Nn..." Nitori's breath moaned out a small noise that would've been inaudible if Rin hadn't been ridiculously focused on listening.

An intense heat flooded Rin's cheeks, and he felt an uncomfortable twitch between his legs. He moved his legs in an attempt to dismiss the feeling; it was as futile as sleeping. _'Shit.'_ he thought as he turned to his side, pulling his knees in.

NItori, completely oblivious to the situation he was in, continued on with his movements on the top bunk. His breathing was heavy, but slow; small noises caught in his closed mouth.

Rin listened to each and every noise above him, and soon enough his imagination was glad to join in. He pictured the younger boy above him--hand gripping himself, stroking up and down along the wet and slick--

 _'Shit, shit, shIT. I can't be...'_ Rin's imagination was just enough to get him going. His cock twitched again, begging for attention. He paused for a moment, listening to the actions above him. It wasn't long before the cadence of Nitori's voice sent another wave of...of what exactly? This situation couldn't actually be turning Rin on. Could it?

"Mm," Nitori moaned.

Oh yeah, it totally could.

With a small twinge of guilt settling in his gut, Rin wiggled his hips and shifted his pajama pants down to his thighs. He was already hard and a bit wet and he could not believe he was about to do this. He turned onto his back.

Wrapping his hand around his dick, Rin paused and listened to Nitori for a moment. His roommate still sounded like he was enjoying himself, and definitely showed no signs of stopping any time soon. Rin swallowed dryly and waited for Nitori to let out another small moan. As soon as he did, Rin pressed his fingers tighter around his shaft and began to stroke. From tip to root and back up again, Rin shivered at the sensation. He had jerked off plenty of times--who the hell hasn't?--but something about this time was different. The situation was odd and it felt strangely erotic, knowing that he was getting pleasure from someone who had no clue. What was it called? Exhibitionism? No, no, that wasn't it. He'd have to google it in the morning. But for now...

Rin had to bite his lip as he moved his hand, not wanting to drown out Nitori's sounds, much less give himself away.

Above him, the bunk bed quivered more and Nitori's voice was getting a bit louder--as if he were losing control. This sent Rin over the edge. The thought of his roommate giving in to pleasure, completely losing himself, was definitely a turn on that Rin never knew he had. Of course, this entire situation was new to Rin and he'd probably have some internal conflicts about it later. Now, he was enjoying the ride.

When he heard Nitori's voice become desperate and his movements shook the bunk more, Rin followed suit. He pumped his hand faster, his other hand still behind his pillow. Closing his eyes tightly, his brows knit together in an odd expression. He rolled his hips up instinctively; wanting more. At this point, Rin had forgotten to keep quiet and his mouth fell open. His heavy breath puffed out of his mouth and a low noise bellowed in his throat. He twisted his wrist, letting his hand stroke upwards on his cock at a different angle. He pressed his feet onto his bed and lifted his hips a bit; hovering just above the bed for only a moment before falling back down.

Through clenched teeth, Rin attempted to whisper a curse, but all that he could manage was a small, drawn out "Shh, shhhh--"

His toes curled as his hand movements began to hasten; growing clumsy and desperate. His bangs stuck to his forehead, now glistening with sweat. A growing pressure in his lower stomach began to grow and his face, all kinds of shades of pink and red, grew warmer and warmer. He was nearing his limit, and he couldn't have wanted it more.

Rin lifted his hips up and down one more time as he pumped himself wildly towards his climax. Soon enough, Rin felt the pleasure peak. He arched his back and shot the white, viscous liquid onto his hand and stomach. His hand continued to move until the waves of his orgasm finally subsided; his body trembling with awkward shivers. Once he finally settled down, he took in one big and shaky breath; letting it out slowly as he melted back into his mattress.

He lay there for a few moments, satisfied and sighing. The room was quiet as he basked in the post-climax haze.

Wait a minute.

 _Shit_.

Suddenly the eerie silence of the room seemed deafening. Rin's eyes shot open, staring up in horror at the bunkbed above him.

He froze tensely, desperately hoping that it was some kind of dream. He had fallen alseep. Yep, and any minute now he'd wake up sticky and pissed off. Right?

Right?

 **Shit**.

"Do you need a tissue, senpai?" Nitori whispered from above; a hint of a smile in his voice.

Rin felt his face heat up and he promptly grabbed his pillow and pressed it against his face to smother himself.

"I will kill you if you ever tell another soul." He mumbled into the fabric.

From the top bunk, he heard Nitori chuckle.

Little did he know that as soon as his actions had been noticed, it caused Nitori to climax prematurely. Which then allowed Nitori to quietly listen to Rin finish his business. To be honest, Nitori had never once pictured his senpai in that kind of situation. But now, after experiencing the real thing first hand. Well...perhaps he had admired Rin Matsuoka for reasons other than swimming.

 _Perhaps_! Just...just perhaps.

"So," Nitori, flushed and smiling, whispered again, "do you need--"

"Yes, dammit!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> also sorry about using "Nitori" and "Rin". I am just so used to referring to Nitori as Nitori that I forgot I wasn't using Matsuoka too


	6. Finding Warmth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Haruka hates snow. Makoto hates being a bother. And it's fricken cold.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote this at work. AT A DOCTOR'S OFFICE. With notepad. So there might be some errors I didn't catch. Just point them out to me if they are really bad/annoying! Thanks

Snow was technically water. Frozen, flaky bits of water falling from the sky. Haruka loved water. It gave him a relaxing escape from the loud, busy, annoying world above. What else could a aquiphile ask for but inches of water floating down from the heavens? Not much, one would argue. Be that as it may, the winter continued to be Haruka's least favorite season; along with fall, and early spring of course. Any season he couldn't swim was a season not worth existing. Sure, he was athletic and there were plenty of interesting winter sports he could otherwise occupy his time with, but the only winter sport he participated in was running back indoors.

Haruka was walking down the snowy sidewalks of his town. The white flakes cascaded down lightly around him. His hands were stuffed in his coat pockets, and he shrugged his shoulders to hide his mouth and nose behind his scarf. His hot breath made the knitted fabric warm and somewhat sticky, but he'd rather that than the annoying frozen feeling his nose got when he breathed in cold air. 

Haruka paused and glanced behind him at the footsteps in the snow. The ones directly behind were still crisp outlines of his boots. The others farther away, however, were already beginning to disappear back into the surrounding white sheet. He looked up at the grey sky and wondered if it would ever let up. The snow fell steadily and he felt the tiny flakes tap against his face, instantly melting from his warmth. His dark hair had become peppered with white from all the snow. It wasn't a heavy snowfall by any means, but it was constant. Before the day was out, the forecast had predicted they'd have few inches. Haruka sighed and began walking again; his shoulders assumed their previous position.

Typically on a snowy day, being outside would be the last thing on Haruka's mind. He would normally be inside, napping under the kotatsu. In fact, he had been planning on doing just that. But of course things never really turn out the way you want them to. Earlier that day, he had been preparing lunch when he discovered he'd run out of dried mackerel, and there was no way he'd risk getting snowed in without re-freshening his supplies. As little of a risk as that was, Haruka decided it was a chance he was not willing to take. He bundled up to the best of his ability (which was, in hindsight, hardly bundled enough), and head out to the store. It was only a few blocks walk and he had made the trek many times before. Child's play.

A strong shiver ran through his body, and his pink cheeks were going numb. He sighed again; should have known this would've been a bad idea. He was not prepared for such a journey, as trivial of a journey as it was. Makoto would probably nag him to no end if he caught a cold. Nag him for being so careless, but mostly nag him for screwing up their chances of playing video games every day over break. 

Before Haruka's thoughts could wander any further, a sudden, soft object smacked against his back. He turned around quickly and was greeted with yet another attack. The snowball hit his chest and fell to the ground in hundreds of flaky pieces. Haruka frowned deeply. He was already cold and grumpy, so some kid's prank was not going to bode well with him. However, after he turned, it was not 'some kid' he saw. 

"It's dangerous to stare at your feet when you walk," Makoto laughed. He held up a gloved hand and gave a small wave as he walked up to his friend. 

"And it's rude to throw things at people," Haruka retorted, his eyes slowly gazing upward at Makoto as he got closer. It was a sin how much taller he looked every time they saw each other. Kind of a pain too; having a really tall friend easily made Haruka feel really short.

Makoto gave a laugh and shrugged his shoulders, brushing off Haruka's comment. "What are you doing outside?" he asked, his knowing smile stretched across his lips like always. They continued walking together in the direction Haruka had been heading.

"Supermarket," Haruka said into his scarf, "out of mackerel." His blue gaze dropped back down to his feet despite Makoto's previous statement. The tall brunette voiced his understanding and zipped his coat up over his scarf. He breathed out a long sigh and it escaped his lips in a misty vapor.

 "You cold?" Haruka asked after a moment. 

"Of course," Makoto replied, pressing gloved hands against his exposed cheeks, "aren't you?"

Haruka shrugged. Yes, he was, he was very cold actually. To be precise, he was freezing. But he was Mr. 'I don't ever show what I'm actually feeling', so he wasn't one to complain.

Even with Haruka's silence, Makoto understood. He was a mind reader. Well, no. Scratch that. He was just so accustomed to Haruka's emotions that he might as well had been a mind reader. "You can head home if you want," he said when they stopped at a crosswalk, "I'll pick up the mackerel for you. I've got nothing to do anyways, just wanted to get out of the house for a bit." It was a loaded statement. One Haruka would wrack his socially inept mind over and still not understand. This was the jist of their friendship. Makoto required no more than a shrug from Haruka to communicate, yet Haruka needed it spelled out in neon lights.

But he took a chance anyway. 

"Is everything okay?" he began walking when the cross signal lit up. Makoto, a bit taken back by the question, followed shortly after.

"Oh, no. No, _yeah_!" he replied sheepishly.

 "So, which is it? No or yes?"

"No," Makoto blurted, but then shook his head; confused by his own answer, " _I mean yes_. Everything's fine," his voiced softened under another warm smile, "don't worry about it." Haruka eyed his friend for a moment before shrugging his shoulders even more, burying himself in his scarf. The two fell silent and continued walking along the snow covered sidewalk. The flakes had gotten larger and it was falling even heavier.

"It's really coming down now, huh?" Makoto looked around, thinking that everything looked so beautiful with a layer of white; like the snow brought vibrancy to everything it covered. "Really though, if you're too cold, Haruka, I could--"

"This is fine."

He assumed Haruka was referring to walking together, which made Makoto unusually happy. Considering Haruka would rather be dead than out and about in the cold, snowy weather; it was short of a miracle. He knew Haruka would've gladly taken him up on the offer any day of the week, so it was curious that he declined it now. He didn't dare tease him about it though, in fear of ruining Haru's not-quite-sour mood.

They walked together for just a few minutes more before arriving at the supermarket. The automatic doors slid open as they went in, stomping their boots on the mat. Haruka gave his head a quick shake, flipping his hair so the snow fell off.

A woman behind a cash register greeted them with a smile and a brief overview of the sales. Makoto returned the sentiment while Haruka simply made his way towards the back of the store. Makoto smiled apologetically at the woman before quickly following his friend.

 

\------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

With no setbacks occurring at the supermarket, the two made their way back home. Okay, well, there was an instance where Haruka had begun to unzip his coat when he spotted the lobster tank, but Makoto had been right on that; thus resulting in getting the cold shoulder for the remainder of shopping.

The roads were whitewashed, along with practically everything else. It had really accumulated  since they'd gone inside, perhaps the weatherman had been off by a few inches. Big surprise there.

Makoto lifted his hands to his head; pulling off his hat and tugging it onto Haruka's head in one swift motion. The broody teen didn't even have time to refuse it. And since he had decided to restock his entire kitchen while he was out, his hands were too full with grocery bags to swat Makoto away.

"I don't need it," Haruka said with a pout.

"Oh, you spoke!" Makoto laughed, which resulted in a glare from Haruka. "You were freezing from the get go," he continued, "Just accept my peace offering."

Haruka had to fight back the urge to roll his eyes, but he couldn't deny the small tug on his lips that threatened a smile. He immediately hid behind his scarf once again, already feeling his body temperature rising. His taller friend grabbed a bag out of his hand too; Haruka let him, and chanced another glance at Makoto. Makoto was staring ahead, smiling like always. His expression was of wonder, as if he was enchanted by the loud, busy, annoying world from which Haruka so often escaped. It actually amazed him sometimes. Makoto could see the good in just about anything, whereas Haruka saw everything as dull. It wasn't that he hated everything, it all was just so tedious, and he felt like he shouldn't be bothered. His late Grandmother had warned him of acquiring this kind of attitude, yet here he was, bored with it all.

Well, enough of that. It was just snow, after all.

A couple of birds flew overhead that caught both their attentions.

"It's pretty, isn't it?" Makoto said after a while, "The snow, I mean. It's always kinda nice when it first falls like this. Before it turns into slush and gets all brown."

"I guess," Haruka responded quietly.

"You don't think so?" 

Haruka looked over at him as they stopped at the same crosswalk from before. Makoto, smiley as ever, met his gaze. It felt like a bit of a powerplay, or a staring game little kids play; whatever it was, Haruka lost. He pursed his lips and looked away, feeling a smidgen of warmth grow on his cheeks. At this point in time, he almost wished that smidgen was bigger. "Yeah, it's, uh, nice." He mumbled, defeated.

"Too cold for your tastes though, huh? Nothing but swimming weather is tolerable."

Haruka did not respond, because he knew Makoto knew the answer, and he was not going to to let himself voice the acknowledgment.

 They started across the street, walking again in a comfortable silence. Cars drove sluggishly by in the slippery streets, and the sidewalks were growing more and more sparse as the snow continued to fall. Haruka looked up once more at the grey sky, now knowing full well that it had no intention of letting up.

 

\------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

By the time they got to where they normally split, the snow was really piling up. They were standing at the base of the stairs when Haruka grabbed the bag from Makoto. The taller brunette widened his eyes, his expression a bit shocked, but it melted into a smile before Haru could even see. His gaze fell to the snowy stairs, and he stuffed his gloved hands into the pockets of his coat.

"Well, I guess I'll see you later," he said with an ever so slight sigh that made Haruka hesitate his departure.

"Do you...want to come over?" he asked, voice barely above a mumble. 

"Oh," Makoto sounded a bit surprised, "thanks, Haru, but I don't wanna bother you." He scratched the back of his head.

"Well, it's not like you're going to go home anyway. Even I can see that." Haruka turned and began walking up the stairs, "You'll just have to follow me if you want your hat back." he said without looking back. He heard Makoto give a quick laugh, then the soft crunches of snow confirmed he began to follow. 

 

\------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Nothing honestly felt more relieving than finally stepping back into the warmth of Haruka's home. The two had shed their outer clothing and boots, now wet with melted snow, and left them at the front door. 

They now sat with their legs under the kotatsu; well, Makoto's legs were anyways--practically all of Haruka was under it. Makoto leaned over and placed his head on the table, closing his eyes with a sigh. He always enjoyed spending time at Haruka's. It was quiet, peaceful, and he could actually hear himself think. Not like at his own house where you couldn't get a moment's privacy if you wanted one. Of course, he loved his family to bits and enjoyed every moment with them. But, a teenage boy can only do so much family time.

"Do you want some hot chocolate?" Makoto asked, keeping his eyes shut. There was no response for some time. "Haru?" He leaned to his left to peer down at his friend. Green eyes met blue, and there was another pause. Haruka stared expressionless at Makoto, who in turn tilted his head like a confused puppy. "What?" he asked with a smile.

Haruka's lips moved to the side as he bit the inside of his cheek for a moment, as if debating on what to say. At length he merely declared, "I'll get it." and stood up before Makoto could say otherwise.

Luckily he had decided on buying more than just mackerel, because the cocoa he had in his cupboard was hardly enough to make one cup. He scooped out some of the powder from the new tin and dumped it into the boiling milk. The clinking of the stirring spoon masked the sound of Makoto walking into the kitchen. The brunette leaned gently against the shouji frame and crossed his arms. 

"Do you need any help?" he asked with a smile. His voice startled Haruka, who's mind had been elsewhere. Despite this, he didn't so much as flinch.

"It's hot chocolate," he said; a bit annoyed that Makoto forgot Haruka was the better cook between the two of them, "I think I can handle it."

Makoto lifted his hands in mock defense, "I was just asking!"

"You've done enough, just go relax or something." 

"You know I can't do that."

"Well, would you try?"

"But I like helping y--"

"I'm trying to cheer you up, and you're not making it very easy," Haruka rose his voice a bit; not intending to sound angry, but it definitely came across that way. "Sorry," he added as an afterthought. Makoto perked up a bit, tilting an eyebrow. 

"Cheer me up? Haru, I said I'm fine. You don't have to worry."

"But that's a lie right?"

There was a pause, the clinking of the spoon stopped when Haruka steadied his hand.

"Haru," Makoto's voice was half concern half relief.

"It's okay. You saying that you wanted out of your house means something is up, I can figure out that much. But you don't have to tell me anything. Just," Haruka placed the spoon in the sink and turned around. He handed the hot mug to Makoto, who took it without a word. "Just cheer up."

Makoto opened his mouth to say something, but held his tongue. His expression softened and he smiled at Haru. "Thanks," he said and took a careful sip of his drink.

Despite Haruka's otherwise uncaring attitude, he could sometimes be surprisingly intuitive. And a bit talkative judging by how the day had gone so far. Regardless, Makoto was thankful for his friend's kindness.He closed his eyes and pressed his lips together, "Mmmm! You definitely make the best hot chocolate." He was always putting up a front. If it was just anyone he would've been fooled, but Haruka knew Makoto too well. He could tell when his good humor was real or not. 

It was not.

Despite this intuition, Haruka let silence be his response, and he took a sip from his own mug. The hot liquid burnt his tongue as soon as it touched causing him to hiss suddenly. "Hot," he stated the obvious. Makoto laughed and agreed before heading back to sit under the kotatsu. 

"Ren and Ran got into another argument over you again." he sat down and stretched his legs under the warmth. 

Haruka followed Makoto's actions and sat down across from him. "What was it this time?" he asked. His eyes stared at his hands as they cupped the hot mug. 

Makoto took another sip and shrugged, "Something about whether you'd want a son or daughter with them. Although, I don't think either of them understands it'll be physically impossible for Ren."

"We could adopt."

"Haru," Makoto shot him a playful glare, "don't encourage the idea. It's bad enough that they think you're going to marry both of them."

Haruka let a small smirk lift the corner of his mouth for a moment before quickly returning back to his default expression. He lifted his mug to his lips and took a careful sip, not wanting to scald his tongue this time. As he drank, Makoto placed his hot chocolate down and laid his cheek on the table. A few silent moments passed, and he began to softly hum a song. Haruka took this as a sign that his friend was feeling better. So, feeling bold, he chanced another question, "Did something happen?"

Makoto stopped humming but kept his head down. They sat there in silence for a few moments before Makoto sighed. "I don't mean to bother you," he said more to the table than to Haruka. His voice was low; a sullen rumble that barely carried it's way to Haruka's ears. Well, so much for the good mood Haru's "intuition" had so easily noticed.

"You aren't," Haru stated simply. Another silence followed. It was his turn to sigh, and he placed his own hot chocolate down with a small thud. He leaned forward, mimicking Makoto's position as he laid his head on the table. After a moment, he said, "What's wrong." It was a statement more than a question.

"It's fine, really. I'm just being over sensitive."

"Then tell me," Haruka thought them having a conversation like this was a bit odd, but it actually was preferable for him. He always spoke his mind easiest when not directly confronting someone.

"You're my friend, I don't want to bug you with--"

"You're not bothering, bugging, annoying, or _any_ thing...ing me." Haruka was begining to get short with him, and his tone reflected that. He noticed this, however, and quickly softed his voice. "Just...let me understand what's wrong. I know I'm not good at this sort of thing, but if you'd just tell me..." his voiced trailed off. He really didn't know what he was trying to say, the words just sort of spilled out. A tiny red blush warmed his cheeks as he lifted his head up and waited.

Yet another silence hung over, and didn't seem like it was going to go away any time soon, but Haruka was patient. He could wait all night. For once, Makoto was the one being put in the emotional spotlight.

Haruka heard a small sigh from his friend, and Makoto eventually lifted his head. His eyes were misty and he wiped his hand awkwardly against his nose. Haruka widened his eyes and opened his mouth to say something, but he found no words this time. Makoto let out a quick, embarrased laugh as he used the ball of his other hand to wipe his eye. Haruka shifted his legs under the kotatsu and took another sip from his hot chocolate; a nervous flutter tossed in his stomach.

"Sorry," Makoto let out another gutteral sound that was a mix of laughter and crying, "the harder I try to hold back, the harder I cry. Sorry."

Haruka watched his friend unravel. Despite his usual ignorance to others' emotions, he could tell that Makoto was finally relieving pent up stress. It was a good cry, he supposed. He sat patiently, and a bit awkwardly, as Makoto continued to fight back tears.

"Ss," Makoto began to apologize again, but his hiccuping breath cut him off.

It wasn't too long before Makoto finally calmed down. He kept his swollen eyes glued to his hands on the table, and he sniffled a few times. "I got into a pretty bad argument with my dad," he spoke without looking up. "It just got out of hand. Yelling and lecturing me..."

Makoto paused, but Haruka kept quiet. Mostly because he didn't know whether to respond or to let Makoto just kind of...vent. He got his answer not a moment later when Makoto let out an annoyed groan.

"It's not _fair_ ," he continued. He looked up at Haruka; his expression had turned bitter, "Just because he wants me to go to law school...I've never given a flying fart about criminal justice." He placed his head back down on the table, hiding his face in his arms. "I told him I want to be a athletic physical trainer--like the ones you see in American movies helpin' out high school teams. That's what set him off. No son of mine is going to waste money and time on something so pointless. You will be a laughing stock of our family!" He lowered his voice to mimick his father's. 

Haruka sat and listened to Makoto's rant, nodding his understanding even though half othe time Makoto hid his face. However, judging by the  eventual quiver in his voice, Makoto had gotten himself worked up again. He lifted his head once more and looked straight at Haruka, "A laughing stock? Me? I think I could help people, you know? High school athletes like us get hurt all the time! They need proper advising and training, right? Why did he have to say..." he shook his head, "I do _so_ much for my parents. It...it's not fair." 

He had made a full loop of his rant. There was a short pause. He sat there, swallowing the lump in his throat and pressing his lips into a thin line. Once again that half laugh, half sob burst out of his mouth despite his efforts to hold it back. He shook his head, "Oh my God, Haru. I'm sorry," his head fell into his hands, "I'm such a wuss. Sorry, I'm so sorry. This is so lame." He felt tears begin to well again, much to his dismay. There wasn't two ways around it. He was that type of crier. Once the levey broke, there was no stopping it until he was shriveled and dried. Although, at this point, he was unsure if his tears were from his rant or from embarrassment. He had never broken down like this before, especially not in front of Haruka. 

A warmth around his back and shoulders caused him to look up from his hands. Haru, as silent as ever, had gotten up and sat down next to Makoto without him noticing. His arm wrapped around his tall friend and gave a small, but heartfelt squeeze. Makoto's felt an embarrassed heat warm his face and ears, but he chose to ignore it. He turned towards his friend and wrapped his arms around Haruka's back. 

Haruka shifted his own arms to return the sentiment. Even when sitting, Makoto was much taller than him, so he had to get up on his knees to keep the hug level. 

Makoto took this rare opportunity in height difference to hide his face in Haruka's shirt; he'd rather that, then let Haru see anymore of his ugly crying. But as soon as he felt the embrace, he no longer felt the painful stab in his gut or choking lump in his throat. And he couldn't help but smile when he felt Haruka's hand rub gently on his back.

"Your dad just needs some time to cool off," Haruka muttered after a moment or two, "His oldest is starting to think about college, who knows how he must be feeling. You know he's greatful for everything you do. He's just...he needs...time." He tried his very hardest to say these words, but they still came out a bit awkward and forced. "Sorry," once again saying it as an afterthought. Makoto chuckled as he lifted his head and broke away from the hug. 

He gave Haruka a weak smile, "I should be the one who's sorry."

"Well, then I'm more sorry."

"Haru--"

Just accept it. I accepted your hat."

Makoto laughed again and turned forwards. He leaned over the table and grabbed Haruka's cup and placed it in front of him. "I don't know why I got so worked up," he said with an embarrassed smile, and he drank from his own cup. "I guess storming out of the house isn't something I normally do...so, it just kinda built up." he laughed sheepishly again and hit his hand against his forehead. "Ahh, I'm such a wuss." He was repeating himself quite a lot today, "This was so stupid. I can't believe I just led you on all day thinking it was some big issue I didn't wanna talk about."

"That's," Haruka mumbled to his hot chocolate, "what friends are for. Right?"

Makoto smiled, "Yeah."

"Well, I'm glad it wasn't anything worse. To be honest, I didn't really know what to do..."

"You hugged me, didn't you? That was doing something."

"I just kinda went with my gut on that."

Makoto lifted his hand to his mouth and laughed inward, "Well, thanks for that. Here I thought you had grown a heart for something other than water."

Haruka glared at him, but he would've been lying if he said he wasn't relieved. Makoto teasing him was a sign that he was actually feeling better, right? He was getting rather good at this reading emotions thing. Maybe Makoto should have weird outbursts more often. Then again, no. Haruka would rather not have to sit through a crying breakdown ever again. He had been seconds away from saying, "there there."

Despite Haruka's nonchalant comment, Makoto knew his actions had been with good intentions. Haruka could claim all day that he wasn't good with emotional stuff, but when it came down to it. He knew exactly what Makoto needed. And that soft back rub was just the intimate gesture Makoto **wanted**. 

The tall brunette leaned back on his hands and sighed. "Well, regardless. Thank you for listening and going out of your way to cheer me up, Haru. The hot chocolate helped!"

"It was your idea."

Makoto just laughed once again and rolled his eyes at his friend's unwillingness to accept that he did something good.

 

\------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

The boys had finished their hot chocolate over small talk about school, video games, and of course, swimming. Haruka had mentioned going to an indoor pool, but declined Makoto's offer for the team to go as off season training. Makoto had smiled knowingly, thinking that Haru would definitely go if he planned it. He was the captain afterall.

They began to play a video game, which is probably what made them lose track of time. The sun had been long gone before Makoto finally looked at his watch. "Crap," his voice squeaked nervously, "I should get going."

Haruka stood up and walked Makoto to the front door. Upon opening it, a pile of white that reached their knees blocked their way. The front lights illuminated the blizzard-like conditions; it was hardly fit for man or beast out there.

"Oh," Haruka stated bluntly, "guess it got worse."

"It's _still_ snowing?" Makoto gasped as he tugged his hat on. He peaked his head out the door, his eyes watering instantly as the harsh wind whipped his face.  

Haruka eyed his friend who zipped up his coat to his chin, full intention of going home despite the awful situation outdoors. "Why don't you stay a bit longer?" he shut the door, not really giving Makoto any other option. "It's coming down pretty hard. Walking in this snow...I woudn't wish that upon my enemies." 

Of course, he'd said this, but internally he wondered if he just didn't want Makoto to go back home. What if his dad was still in a huff? Something inside Haruka wanted Makoto here; happy and without clingy siblings or nagging parents. Just the two of them. 

"You don't _have_ enemies," Makoto said with a laugh. After a beat he asked, "Can I sleep over, then?" He unzipped his jacket and shrugged it off.

Haruka simply nodded and began walking down the hallway. He sat back down near the kotatsu and turned on the tv. Makoto's voiced carried from the hallway as he called his home. When he began to walk down the hallway, Haruka could clearly invision the voice on the other end.

"No, I'm not... It's still pretty bad, hun...Yes, I know. Just tell Mom--Yes, okay, I promise...We can't build the snowman that high... All right, fine. Can you just tell Mom that I'm staying at Haru's?...No, you can't come over...Ok, I'll tell him later. Okay...I promise...okay...yes, okay." he laughed, "Thanks. Mmbye."

He came into the room right as he closed his mobile. He smiled and said, "Ran says it has to be a girl, because then she can buy dresses."

"Ah," Haruka said as he flipped through the channels.

"But the dresses aren't going to be _too_ girly," Makoto sat down, and lifted a finger as he explained, "because then she'd get picked on by the boys. And if she's ever gonna get married, then she can't be picked on by boys."

Haruka couldn't help but smile; closed his eyes and shook his head before finally stopping on the weather channel.

 

\------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Turns out the weatherman had been way more than off on his prediction.  

Makoto whistled when the forecast popped up on the screen, "It's not gonna let up until tomorrow morning?" He glanced at Haruka who sat staring with a blank expression. Makoto waited a moment for a reaction from Haru, there was none. Makoto suddenly got a sly smile on his face when the tv announced to "stay indoors for your safety."

"What if we get snowed in?" He gasped in mock horror once it cut to a commercial. He reached over the table and grabbed at Haruka's shirt, "There just isn't enough mackerel to go around. Haru," he turned away, placing his hand on his forehead, "if...if it comes down to it. You can eat me."

"That's a bit intimate, don't you think?" Haruka said without a wink of hesitation, nor did he move his gaze from the television.

The brunette blushed, let go of Haru--kind of violently--and held his hands up, "I-I didn't mean it like _that_! I was just, what I meant, that's..." He sighed, giving up on trying to form a complete sentence. It was a mixture of a priveledge and a curse that Makoto was as close to Haruka as he was. He was probably the onl who who's ever seen Haruka attempt a joke. But they usually ended up sending Makoto into a blushing, nervous frenzy.

When Makoto's hands fell into his lap, a popping sound echoed somwhere outside. Instantly, the tv went black and all the lights turned off. The entire house grew silent as all appliances, including the space heater and the electric heater under the kotatsu, shut down.

The two boys sat blinking at each other. They waited in the dark for minutes to see if the power would flicker back on; it didn't. Haruka lifted his gaze to the ceiling and pursed his lips in annoyance.

"The power can go out from a snow storm?" Makoto asked, his own gaze scanning the room.

"If the wind is strong enough," Haruka said as he stood up and walked into the kitchen, "I think I heard the transformer though. Probably got snow or ice in the circuit or something." He opened a drawer, pulled out a couple candles, and knocked it shut with his hip.

"Do you think it's going to be out long?" Makoto asked when Haruka came back into the room. Haruka simply shrugged and placed a candle on the table. 

An eerie howl cooed from outside as the wind shifted. Instantly, Makoto flinched, making a small squeak of a noise. "What was--"

"Wind."

Makoto put a trembling hand to his heart and sighed, "Oh, r-right. Wind."

Haruka leaned backwards and reached into a small drawer on the tv stand to pull out a matchbook. When he struck it, the match head burst to life before settling down into a small flame. Makoto watched patiently as he lit the candles; slowly adding a soft, yellow glow to the room. Instantly, Makoto felt his fluttering heart settle. Becauase as we all know, Makoto and dark rooms did not mesh well.

"You should get back under the blanket, Haru," Makoto mentioned while leaning back on his hands, "Before whatever heat is left escapes." He smiled softly; mother hen instinct activating once his fears had been subdued.

He didn't have to say it twice, because Haruka followed the suggestion immediately. 

\------------------------------------------------------------------------

It didn't take very long before both boys were droopy eyed and yawning. Makoto had been blabbing about who knows what when he noticed Haru's eyes had completely shut; falling asleep while having a conversation was one of his hidden talents that only Makoto knew about. He couldn't help but laugh and suggest they hit the hay.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------

Makoto zombie walked his way down the hallway to Haruka's room; his eyes practically closed. He had brushed his teeth and gone to the bathroom, but he couldn't really remember it. His tired brain was running on fumes at that point. When he got to the bedroom, he saw that Haruka had already set up his temporary bedding. It was hastily put together; the comforter in a fluffy heap and the pillow thrown in place. Haruka was already tucked tightly under his own blanket with his back facing the door. 

"Haru," Makoto whispered as he laid down and covered himself, "Are you asleep?"

There was silence. Of course, that didn't necessarily mean he was asleep, but Makoto didn't really mind. He simply smiled to himself and pulled the covers up over his shoulder. "Goodnight," he said quietly. And after a short moment, a mumbled "night" made him smile just before closing his eyes.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Makoto's violent shiver catapaulted him out of dreamland, and he woke with a gasp. He eyed the room in search for a blinking clock, but it was pitch black--an obvious sign that the power had not yet come back on. He shivered again and brought his knees to his chest underneath the covers.

It was hardly difficult to tell that the temperature had dropped quite significantly since they had gone to sleep. What with the heaters no longer working and a lack of any kind of fireplace, Haruka's home promptly became an igloo. Because of this, his thin sheets really didn't offer that much warmth. He was almost certain his toes were purple at this point.

A tickle in his nose caused his eyes to water, and he breathed in a bit of a shaky gasp before sneezing. It was one of those booming, half cough half sneezes that was beyond the limits of normal volume. Immediately, he heard Haruka's own breath give a sharp intake as he was startled awake. Makoto, feeling a bit embarrassed, pulled his blanket up tighter over his shoulder when he heard Haruka turn on his bed.

There was a short, quiet pause. The soft pattering of icy snow grew louder as wind from outside blew it against the window like sand against glass. A stronger gust caused the wind to release a low whistle; at which Makoto couldn't help but whimper.

"Makoto," Haruka called out in his usual, but now also groggy, monotone voice. "It's cold."

"So I've noticed," Makoto responded with a laugh, "Sorry I woke you, but I probably would've combusted if I held in that sneeze."

"It's fine. It's..." He paused, as if he second guessed what he was about to say.

"Hmm? What is it, what's wrong?"

"It's, um," his voice got muffled. Makoto guess he had pressed his face into his pillow as he spoke; something he'd done since they were little kids. "It's cold." He repeated.

Makoto shifted under his sheets and looked towards his friend; squinting to help see better in the dark. "Yeah, Haru, I got that part." He sat up, rubbed his sleepy eyes with the balls of his hands. 

" _I'm_ cold," Haruka repeated a third time.  

"Oh," he said, still a bit confused. Then it finally processed, " _Oh_ ," he said a bit louder and with a smile. He grabbed his sheets and pillow in a big bundle, and he stood without a word. Plopping his pillow down next to Haruka--who had scooted over and held up the comforter--Makoto slipped his sheets onto the bed and climbed in. Haruka let the blankets fall over them, and instantly Makoto felt better. The bed was already warmed from Haru, but now that the two of them were sharing, it was nice and toasty.

"The power is still out, huh?" Makoto said in a hushed tone. Since he had stood up and walked, his body felt more awake. He had actually always been a talker at sleepovers, much to his friend's dismay. Haruka's reply was a muffled grunt; he was obviously on the brink of falling back asleep. 

"Do you think it's out all over town? Or just your neighborhood?"

Haruka hummed again in response but a bit more assertively; to which Makoto chuckled. 

"All right, I'm sorry, I'm sorry," Makoto said in a hushed tone and turned on his side, facing Haru.

They laid in silence for quite some time before Makoto felt his mind grow heavy with drowsiness. Before he could finally let himself slip out of consciousness, he felt a warmth press against him. Haruka had shifted over and huddled close to his tall friend. He brought his face in towards Makoto's chest and breathed a deep sigh.

Makoto felt his stomach do a little flip as he was jolted out of his sleepiness once again. Being so close to Haru was warm, and comforting, and Makoto felt an odd relieving sensation rush through him. The stress of the day was finally expelled, and Makoto knew he had his friend to thank. 

Looking down, Makoto tried to focus his eyes on Haruka but it was still much too dark. Haruka breathed in again and shifted closer to Makoto. He wanted to whisper a question, but stopped himself before his lips even parted. Haru might've been asleep, and since he had been so uncharacteristically gentle that evening, Makoto felt cuddly. So rather than ruin the moment with a teasing comment like he always did, he instead lifted a hesitant hand--careful to keep it under the covers--and brought it down over Haruka's shoulder. 

As he did so, the wind howled once again; fiercely blowing the snow against the glass. Makoto couldn't help but shiver. Mother nature didn't have to be so scary, did it? Crimeny.

Instantly, he felt Haruka snuggle in closer. At this point, their bodies were flush against each other, and Makoto could feel his heartbeat thumping wildly. His arm now wrapped around him in a soft embrace. Haru burried his face in Makoto's shirt, rubbed his forehead against the warm fabric, and let out a quiet hum. The brunette couldn't help but smile and hold Haru gently in his arms. 

Falling asleep came easily after that.

 

\------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Haruka woke up feeling stiff and hot and dreadfully dehydrated. He groaned and tried stretching, but found that he was quite tightly stuck agaisnt what felt like a smoldering potato.

Upon opening his eyes, however, he saw that the smoldering potato was simply Makoto; sleeping like a log with a kung-fu grip. Haruka blinked a few times to clear his blurry vision. When his grogginess finally began to fade away, a sudden rush of embarrassment flooded his mind. He must have gotten into this position in his sleep...how annoying. He stared at Makoto's sleeping expression; his lips were slightly parted and a single, dark, eyelash lay on his cheek. To anyone, it might have seemed cute--even pretty--but Haru was not just anyone. Right away he noticed Makoto's bad morning breath blowing right into his face. He contorted his mouth into a frown and lifted his arm, numb from sleeping on it, and wiped away the eyelash. He actually startled himself by doing this; since it had kind of been second nature. Regardless, Haruka had had quite enough of this predicament and he squirmed uncomfortably (he would never admit to the redness on his face at that point though, nope, never). 

"Makoto," he said just loud enough to stir his friend awake, or so he thought. Makoto stayed as still as stone and fast asleep; a mere smack of his lips and a sighing hum was his response. Haruka frowned even more and brought his hand to Makoto's nose and pinched. Makoto's mouth shot open to breathe in a sharp gasp, and he woke with a start. 

His eyes met with Haruka's for a fraction of a second before he closed them again and sighed heavily. Despite streching out his legs and back, Makoto did not loosen his hold on Haru.

"Makoto," the captive repeated, hoping Makoto's intuitive nature was up to par in the morning. Haruka really hated speaking, especially after just waking up. So just a precaution, he poked his capturer on the chest. Makoto opened his eyes once more and stared at him for a moment before a tug at his lips curled them into a smile. He shifted in the bed, pulled Haru close to his chest, and much to Haru's dismay, hugged him tightly.  "No, this is the opposite of what I wanted," Haru mumbled into the fabric of Makoto's shirt; his breath felt hot against his face. Haruka's head bounced against Makoto's chest as he laughed.

"I know," Makoto laughed again, "Sorry, I just couldn't help myself. Thought we were having another moment like yesterday." He let go of Haruka, shifted his hands behind his pillow, and turned onto his back. Instantly, Haruka kicked his blankets off and stretched out his aching body.

"Looks like the heat's kicked back in," Makoto mentioned as Haru turned away onto his side, "Guess we wont have to snuggle anymore."

Haruka felt his face flush, but it was probably because he was still over heated....or something....

"We weren't snuggling," he said while pressing his face into the mattress.

"Sure, sure," Makoto closed his eyes, "and I wasn't crying yesterday."

In his mind, Haru thought of a thousand different responses that were mostly half-hearted excuses. But, as the clock at his bedside said, it was 7:30, and there was no way he was having a conversation. Least of all one that required effort. So instead, he simply closed his eyes and let himself fall back asleep.


	7. Fued

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nothing short of a panic-attack-filled-guilt could get Rin to fess up to being an asshole.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again wrote this at work with notepad. I read through it a couple times, but since I dont have a beta I don't always catch the errors. Just point them out to me and I'll change them asap. thanks

The whistle echoed off the high ceiling of the pool house, ringing in the ears of each swimmer. Captain Mikoshiba held it between his teeth, blowing in equal intervals to start the next row. It was a stressful day at Samezuka Academy's swim team practice, especially for the relay teams. They had been entered into an invitational competition that was just two weeks away. And coach, as well as Mikoshiba, felt they weren't ready.

"Tatsuhani, your kick off is too clumsy. Make sure you balance yourself before diving!" He yelled with the whistle still in his mouth.

Rin stood near the end of the line. His arms were crossed; balled fists holding his cap and goggles. He sighed in a mix of boredom and frustration. The day had already gone sour, and now the intense practice was just adding fuel to the fire. He looked up at the ceiling windows, wishing he could be outside enjoying the rare February warmth. White, puffy clouds idly passed, and a bird or two flew by. He would give anything not to be here right now.

"Rin-senpai," a small voice whimpered from behind him. He started, and looked over his shoulder to spot Nitori standing there. His eyes were downcast, and he fiddled with the goggles in his hands.

"Hi," Rin said in a distracted tone; a faint flush of red warmed his cheeks. Now, don't get any funny ideas. This wasn't a normal reaction he had towards his younger friend. This was merely an after effect from the morning. He had had words with Nitori earlier in their dorm, but he rarely saw Nitori during the day due to them being different years, and he hadn't been worried about running into him. But, of course, he had forgotten to factor in the last minute change in their practice schedule. So now, he was feeling a bit guilty for the things he had said. Hence, the reaction you so hastily judged.

"Can I, um, can we talk?" Nitori asked, his voice barely audible over the echoing splashes and whistle. Rin kept his arms crossed as he looked away from his younger friend.

"Sure, y-yeah," he mumbled, "after practice." He could not even look at Nitori, much less talk to him. Every instinct told him he should run away, but his stupid pride wouldn't let him. And he knew he should probably say something, but his mouth stayed closed. Thus, the dangerous internal cycle began.

The line moved up and Rin took a few steps forward.

"Okay," Nitori, sounding a bit rejected, said only that before falling silent.

A few moments passed and Rin looked behind him again. He found that Nitori was gone; most likely back in his own row. A heavy, sinking feeling slugged him in the gut as he remembered just how awful he had been to his friend.

\-------

"Are you _kidding_ me?" Rin yelled. In his clenched fists he held a dirty t-shirt and jeans which had been draped over the desk chair. "I told you to clean this mess up yesterday!" He kicked at another pair of jeans on the floor.

Nitori flinched at Rin's volume. Shaky hands lifted up in defense, "I, I was going to, senpai. But I forgot I had an essay due so I had to--"

"Shut your trap," Rin cut him off and threw the clothes at Nitori. The younger boy flinched again as his clothing smacked into his face and chest; the button of his jeans stung against his cheek bone. "What kind of lame excuse is that? You are such a slob, and I am _not_ living like this anymore!"

As Rin scolded him, Nitori removed the clothes from his face and clutched them against his chest; an act of retreat. His lip trembled and his eyes grew misty. "But I do my laundry when you t-tell me to!" he yelped desperately, "a-and I really try hard to keep my things out of your way. Please don't be so angry, senpai, I said I'll do it w--"

" _I_ said shut up!" Rin growled, once again letting his booming voice trump the quieter whimper. "Do you even hear yourself? Jesus, it's like talking to a brick wall. You haven't done a single thing to keep this place clean. And every time I confront you about it you just cower like a sad puppy!" He swung his arm in an exaggerated gesture as he spoke, a habit he had picked up from living in Australia. At this, Nitori flinched a third time.

"See what I mean? Grow a back bone, would ya? How can someone your age be so wimpy?"

Nitori's eyes went a bit wide at this comment, and he breathed in a small, short gasp. "M-my personality has nothing to do with laundry," Nitori tried deferring, but Rin simply brushed off the statement with another insult.

"Tch, you are such a sorry excuse for a man." He picked up another piece of clothing and threw it at Nitori before leaving the room. He slammed the door for emphasis, despite knowing he'd probably get in trouble for it later by their RA.

Nitori sat there in silence. He was trembling as he bit his lower lip to hold back a sob. A pain stabbed in his throat and he swallowed it bitterly. His eyes began to flood, and burned with tears as he shut them tight. Nitori was used to bullying, especially about his behavior, but Rin had never once mentioned it. His senpai's final comment had really hit home, and Nitori hated himself for crying.

\----------

  
What had been his deal? It was just a bit of clothing. In hindsight, it all seemed so unnecessary to argue over. Well, less of an argument, more of abuse.

Rin admitted he had a temper, but he never knew he'd be capable of getting so worked up over nothing. And on top of that, Rin knew the troubles the timid nature caused his younger friend. Bringing it up like that, saying it in that way, that was a new low. Nitori had been nothing short of saintly to Rin, and helpful to boot. Rin had taken advantage of that; took whatever friendship they had developed and stomped it into nothing. Typical, idiotic, move. Rin had lost lots of friends this way, so why did it feel so awful this time?

Rin placed his hand on his stomach; suddenly he wasn't feeling so well. It growled and gurgled and Rin knew he was surely going to vomit.

Just as his row was supposed to mount the starting blocks, he stepped out of line. Mikoshiba glanced his way, and whistled for the row to dive. They all went on cue, splashing into the water at minutely different times despite the synchronized take-off. Mikoshiba let the whistle drop from his mouth and hang around his neck as he walked over to Rin.

"You alright? You look kind of pale," he said in a hushed tone, "Well, more pale than normal."

Like most people, Rin felt even worse when someone asked if he was okay. Instantly he felt the bile rise, and a putrid taste flooded his mouth. It was all he could do to keep from gagging.

"May I go to the bathroom?" he asked weakly; not daring to look his captain in the eye.

"How about the nurse?" Mikoshiba said with a knowing smile. He placed his hand on Rin's back between his shoulder blades and gave him a light push. "I'll be sure to tell coach. Go on. You look awful."

Rin gave him a sour look, but was thankful for being excused. He made a b-line for the locker room, keeping his eyes cast down to avoid his teammates' questioning gazes.

From across the pool, Nitori had watched the captain speak with Rin before he started to walk out of the room. The silver haired boy bit his lip nervously; his heart thumping wildly in his chest. Mikoshiba's whistle and "Nitori!" startled him back into focus, "Go with Matsuoka to the nurse."

"Y-yes, sir!" Nitori squeaked and walked towards the locker room. He couldn't help but see Rin's back muscles tense up as he froze just before exiting the pool.

\-------------

Rin and Nitori dressed into their tracksuits in silence, the shuffling of fabric seemed twice as loud in the locker room. The entire time, Rin' stomach did back flips and front flips and somersaults, and he was quite sure he could no longer tolerate the feeling.

He felt Nitori's eyes on him, which did absolutely nothing for his queasiness. There was a faint dizziness that weakened his legs, and his body felt cold and hot at the same time. A tightness in his chest made it feel like he couldn't get enough air, yet he was not breathing heavy. He sighed heavily in a vain attempt to alleviate the uncomfortable haze he was in. All that did was give him a wave of vertigo.

Soon after that, Rin's hands began to shake. He had to place his hand on the lockers to steady himself before pulling on his sweat pants. He knew he must've looked ridiculous. No doubt Nitori was staring at him with those big, doe eyes. The mere thought of it caused Rin's stomach to turn and his face to flush uneasily. Just as he zipped his jacket on, he knew he was at his limit. He ran towards the toilets and slammed open a stall. It banged loudly against the toilet paper dispenser.

Rin fell to his knees and gripped either side of the seat tightly. He felt a surge slam through him and he gagged, mouth agape, but nothing came out. There was a short pause. Again he heaved, but it stayed dry. Saliva pooled in his mouth and Rin spat it out in an awkward attempt to expel something, anything.

His wish was granted as the scent of toilet water, adding to his nausea, filled his nostrils. He leaned forward and puked nothing but water and bile. His brow beaded with sweat now, and shivers wracked his body as he dry heaved once more. He sighed into the toilet bowl; breathing defeated whimper as he spit once again.

Suddenly he felt soft fingers brush against his cheeks, pulling the layered strands of hair out of his face. This brought another wave of uneasy jumbling in his stomach. Rin coughed and gagged into the toilet once more; bile painfully burning his throat as it made its way up.

If it were any other situation, Rin would have easily swatted away the help. This time, however, he couldn't muster the strength to be his usual cold self. So, he merely knelt there and let Nitori hold his hair back.

A few moments passed before Rin finally lifted his head and turned. He was greeted with Nitori's outstretched hand and some folded toilet paper. Rin grabbed it and wiped his mouth, mumbling "Thanks." He reached over and flushed the toilet.

"Should I go get the nurse?" Nitori asked over the noise.

"No, I can walk." Rin stood up, desperately avoiding eye contact with his younger friend. Despite this attempt, he could feel Nitori's gaze still on him. He knew those doe eyes were now glazed with worry, and that absolutely destroyed him. Of course Nitori would be concerned for him; he was too good of a person not to be. But Rin knew he didn't deserve a smidgen of it; not with the way he had acted. Especially not after what he'd said.

Nitori backed out of the stall and let Rin lead the way.

\------------

"Doesn't look like you have a fever," the nurse smiled as she pulled the thermometer out of Rin's mouth, "You are a bit pale though."

"I threw up too," Rin added in a mumble. His eyes stayed focused on his hand which tugged his zipper nervously up and down.

She looked at him for a moment and silently diagnosed his quite textbook panic attack. Rin was definitely not the type of boy who'd admit to something so "weak." She smiled and gave an understanding nod which confused the red head. She placed a hand on his shoulder, "Well, why don't you lay down here and I'll give your mother a call?"

Rin sighed, but did as he was told. He closed his eyes as his head hit the pillow. He listened as the nurse softly opened and closed the sliding door.

As he laid there, complete and utter exhaustion finally set in. His mind and body felt depleted of any energy he may have had. It was a bit unsettling to him. The tightening and loosening of his throat, the gurgling in his stomach, and the weight in his chest were all beginning to be too much to bare. He recalled feeling something similar before; during his turmoils with a certain water-loving dork. But this time, it was very different. With Haruka, it wasn't so much guilt, but anger, jealousy, and hopelessness. This, what he was feeling at this moment, was something much more. His emotional over reaction was definitely out of character, and that angered him, but that anger did nothing to help him realize the reason.

Rin had let himself doze a bit before he heard the sliding door open quietly once again. He assumed it was the nurse, but when no voice was heard, he opened his eyes. Nitori stood there, closing the door behind him so quietly that you could hardly tell it was moving. His eyes stayed downcast as he brought both his hands together, fiddling his fingers.

It didn't take very long before a wave of that gut-wrenching sickness filled Rin. He turned over onto his side, facing his back to Nitori.

"Go away," he said meanly when he heard Nitori inhale to speak. Nitori started a bit, but made sure not to make any noise. Despite Rin's demand, he stood his ground.

"Senpai," Nitori began.

"I said go away, Nitori." Rin kept this back towards Nitori, but as he spoke he curled into a ball; bringing his knees in tight to his chest. Any position to help his upset stomach.

"You said we could talk..."

"Yeah, I _know_ what I said. And now I'm changing my mind. Leave me alone."

There was an unwelcomed silence. "I'm sorry," Nitori mumbled after a few moments.

Rin trembled as Nitori's timid voice slithered up his spine. He would never admit to it, but at that moment even he was not strong enough to hold back a groan. He turned onto his stomach and tucked his arms under the pillow.

"Just stop talking," he whined into the fabric.

Nitori bit his lip and looked up at Rin. He knew his upperclassman was completely uninterested in speaking. But Nitori could no longer handle the pressure. He took a deep breath, "I can't. Not until you forgive me. Senpai," he gulped and took a rather daring chance by saying, "R...Rin, I'm really sorry. I didn't mean to upset you so much. Please, just don't be angry at me any more. Please?" It had started out as a confident speech, but it quickly deflated into his typical whimpering plea. He had a feeling it would only add fuel to Rin's rage, but there was nothing he could do. It's who he was. Something he was painfully reminded of by bullies...and now Rin too.

"Please..." Nitori's final plea was so quiet and airy, that he was not sure he even heard it.

This was the breaking point. Rin may have been a genius swimmer, but even he'd admit that he was a bit slow when it came to emotions and friendship. It hit him like a bag of bricks. His eyes shot open and he gasped quietly. _'Aw crap,'_ he thought, _'I think I...'_

Slowly, he flipped onto his back, faced his head towards his unknowing tormentor. Their eyes met briefly, and Rin knew Nitori was giving his all to hold back tears. "Why," he began as he sat up, "are you sorry?"

Nitori gulped again, his hands trembled. He realized this quickly and pressed them firmly against his thighs to steady them. "B-because I," he took a deep breath in and held it.

Rin couldn't help but feel horrible for Nitori's current state. He was even more of a nervous mess than usual.

"Nitori, breathe." Rin said eventually, causing his younger friend to burst out his breath. Rin sighed and leaned back against the pillows. He punched his thigh lightly a few times before scoffing in annoyance, "Dang it. You aren't making this easy, you know? Why on earth should you be the one apologizing? I'm the..." He zippered up his jacket all the way to hide his lips behind the collar, "I'm the one who was a complete jerk."

A silence filled the room, as if time itself stood still as a rare apology clumsily made its way out of Rin's mouth. "I was, ah, I was pretty stupid for saying such a horrible thing. You're my, um, you're...y'know...and I take advantage of your kindness far too often. So, well, I don't know...I'm..argh!" If there was anything Rin hated more than losing, it was being at a loss of words. He ruffled his hair and growled again. All the while, Nitori stood in awe. Struck frozen in both surprise and admiration for his upperclassman.

Rin pressed his lips into a line and glanced towards his younger friend. The lack of vocal response was beginning to get a bit awkward, and he wasn't really good at apologies. Not to mention, his earlier epiphany was starting to eat at the back of his mind. The urge to simply bolt out of there was steadily growing.

"Soo," he lengthened the word and rubbed the back of his head nervously. "Forgive me?"

Nitori's hands fell limp to his sides and his eyes went wide. He stared at Rin in silence; to which Rin uncomfortable glanced away and back again. "Hello?" He said, snapping a couple times.

Suddenly tears flooded Nitori's eyes and his expression melted into a warm, relieved smile. "Y-yes! Sorry, yes! Of course I forgive you, senpai." His mood took a complete 180, and his body language opened up significantly. "I-I don't think you take advantage of me at all. You keep me in line and out of trouble, usually. You always share your notes with me. And you never burn popcorn. And, I, um, I promise to be more tidy in the future. So please," he tightened his arms at his sides and bowed, "accept me."

"Accept you? What?"

"W-well, you know, like, ah," Nitori kept his body bent as he struggled over his words; realizing his idiocy too late. His face felt warm and he slowly backed towards the door. He opened it and fled the room, all while bowing.

"What the--? Hey, wait! Where are you going? How did you even..." Rin called out to his underclassman as he escaped the situation.

The red head rolled his eyes and chuckled. He felt a small smile tug at his lips, and a warm feeling fill his body. Swinging his legs over the edge of the bed, Rin stood up at followed in Nitori's direction back to practice.

\---------------

"All right, your mother told me it was okay to give you some--" The nurse froze when she entered the empty room. She peaked around the curtains to the other bed. "H-hello?"

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i also screwed up on the names thing....writing a fanfiction from a Japanese show is difficult because it doesnt make sense for English speakers to call each other by their last names typically and..ok whatever. Just pretend Nitori is his only name. like madonna!


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